According to Forbes, money spending has doubled since COVID-19 began. People are overspending and buying items out of fear that there will be a shortage of items or they are choosing fast food instead of cooking at home.
While, I can understand both reasonings I want to share some tips to help minimize excessive spending:
1) Make a grocery list. If you prefer to leave the house and shop on your own, making a list will limit your time inside the store; therefore, you won't buy items you didn't deem a necessity.
2) Shop Online. If you don't have the time to leave or are cautious with social distancing, there are plenty of companies (like Instacart) that will deliver your groceries directly to your home. If you order online, you're less likely to purchase excess groceries and stick to your budget.
3) Take advantage of sales. During this time, there are several incentives such as "buy 4 for $5" or "buy one, get one half off". If you can find coupons online, couple those with the sale price too to lower costs.
4) Cook instead of ordering takeout. While we all miss our favorite restaurants, try to minimize your takeout orders. You can easily spend $40 on a dinner plate and only eat once versus spending that $40 on a meal to last a few days. Cooking also minimizes your chances of buying unhealthy food and causing weight gain in addition to the overspending.
I hope these tips helped someone! Let me know what you think below and/or some ways you're saving during the pandemic.
